Sitting with the Trinity twice daily

I’d like to say I’d been thrown off a horse, found the Lord, and could not find a better way to get to know Him. Not true. I can’t remember when I didn’t know the Lord, and His Father. My friendship with the Holy Spirit came as I matured a little. I’d like to say that meditation has changed my life, made me a wonderful person whom everyone loves, can do no wrong, and is a saint waiting to be canonised. Not true!

Something stirred within me many years ago as I read of meditation of the Christian variety. I read every book I could find on the subject, listened to a couple of John Main’s tapes, attended a talk which didn’t impress me a great deal, signed up for the WCCM newsletter, and did not much else.

Finally, one day the Holy Spirit must have nudged me and I realised that I was supposed to put into practice all that I had been reading about. So about 18 years ago I began – occasionally. I guess you could say I dabbled, a little bit here and a little bit there. Six years ago I realised what a fool I was, the Holy Spirit again no doubt. At the same time that I decided to meditate seriously and regularly the Holy Spirit arranged for a group to start in our Parish. And so it began. I sat in the recommended position for two sessions of meditation each day without fail, repeating my mantra throughout.

Over the intervening years I have made four retreats with Fr Laurence Freeman and attended most of the Community Days and Retreats organised in Auckland. Am I a changed person? Only God really knows I guess but I wouldn’t withdraw from Meditation for anything. I find it right for me. I look forward to sitting with the Trinity twice daily. My mind still wanders all over the place until I return to my mantra. I put all these thoughts in God’s care before I begin and pay no attention to them. I trust that I am becoming the person that God meant me to be when I was created. I am able to be objective about things and accepting of situations over which I have no control. The only hard thing about Meditation is being disciplined enough to make two set times each day and to stick to it.

Occasionally I do miss out but there’s always a genuine reason and Fr Laurence tells us never to take any guilt on board. Just get on with it the following day. One thing I am certain of. Meditation can only do me good. It improves me and my little world. The talks that Fr Laurence gives as he visits groups in every area of the world help not just the people he meets, but the whole world. Our world is a better place for the tens of thousands of Christians of every denomination who meditate twice daily. Come join us.